He was popular for his gritty-witty ballads accentuated on life of Indonesia's marginalized groups or political satire on the troubled Indonesian social/political scene under Soeharto. His socially aware hit-songs including: "Oemar Bakri" tells about teacher, "Lonteku" is a love story between a criminal and a prostitute, and "Wakil Rakyat" is about members of parliament.
After Reformasi movement on 1997 which leads to democratisation he was a kind of losing the edge for political satire, but his mature musical experience keeps him on Indonesian pop chart with inward-looking songs and songs about personal relationships.
Awang-Awang
Iwan Fals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lebih baik diam saja
Jika langkah tak lagi bermata
Langkah buta terjang saja
Melayang terbang melayang
Melayang di awang-awang
Melayang terbang melayang
Berlari aku berlari
Menembus hari
Berlari aku berlari
Menembus hari
Bagaimana bisa berhenti?
Sedang kita belum melangkah
Bagaimana bisa kembali?
Sedang kita tak tahu sampai dimana
Berlari aku berlari
Menembus hari
Berlari aku berlari
Menembus hari
Bagaimana bisa mengerti?
Sedang kita belum berpikir
Bagaimana bisa dianggap diam?
Sedang kita belum bicara
Melayang terbang melayang
Melayang melayang
Melayang melayang
Bagaimana bisa mengerti?
Sedang kita belum berpikir
Bagaimana bisa dianggap diam?
Sedang kita belum bicara
Melayang terbang melayang
Melayang di awang-awang
Melayang terbang melayang
Di atas samudera terbentang
The lyrics of Iwan Fals's song "Awang-Awang" seem to be about the importance of action and movement in life, even when things may seem uncertain or unclear. The opening lines suggest that sometimes words and steps may lose their meaning, and it may be better to remain silent and just keep moving forward. The repetition of "Berlari" (running) throughout the song emphasizes the idea of continuous action. The lines "Bagaimana bisa berhenti?" (How can we stop?) and "Bagaimana bisa kembali?" (How can we go back?) suggest that once we start moving forward, we cannot afford to stop or turn back without knowing where we're headed. It's better to keep pushing forward, even if we're blind or unsure of the path.
The chorus of the song, "Melayang terbang melayang, melayang di awang-awang, melayang terbang melayang, di atas samudera terbentang" (Floating, flying, floating in the sky, floating, flying, above the expanse of the ocean), suggests a sense of freedom and weightlessness that comes with taking action and moving forward. The lines "Bagaimana bisa mengerti?" (How can we understand?) and "Bagaimana bisa dianggap diam?" (How can we be considered silent?) emphasize the importance of active participation to truly understand and make our voices heard.
Overall, "Awang-Awang" is a song that encourages listeners to keep moving forward in life, even when there may be uncertainty, doubt, or confusion. Action is necessary to gain clarity and achieve our goals, and staying silent or standing still will not get us very far.
Line by Line Meaning
Jika kata tak lagi bermakna
When words lose their significance
Lebih baik diam saja
It's better to remain quiet
Jika langkah tak lagi bermata
When steps no longer have direction
Langkah buta terjang saja
Just blindly move forward
Melayang terbang melayang
Floating, flying, soaring
Melayang di awang-awang
Floating in the clouds
Di atas samudera terbentang
Stretching above the ocean
Berlari aku berlari
I run, I rush
Menembus hari
Breaking through the day
Bagaimana bisa berhenti?
How can we stop?
Sedang kita belum melangkah
When we haven't even taken a step
Bagaimana bisa kembali?
How can we go back?
Sedang kita tak tahu sampai dimana
When we don't even know where we're headed
Bagaimana bisa mengerti?
How can we understand?
Sedang kita belum berpikir
When we haven't even thought about it
Bagaimana bisa dianggap diam?
How can we be seen as silent?
Sedang kita belum bicara
When we haven't even spoken yet
Melayang melayang
Floating, floating
Contributed by Aubrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mugi Muliadi
Bnrr bang Oi..
Bnyak zaman now..kata2 tak bermakna..selalu di ucap...jadi ga jujur
Oi..cirebon BERSATULAH...
Aldi Saputra
Request bang grebek si ganteng di lorong warci
აკუნ პალსუ
Lagu ini khusus untuk pak Soeharto
Yg anti kritik
Siap siap mati kalau berani
აკუნ პალსუ
@Kill You yg benar
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😋
Affsar Musyaffa
Sindiran buat rezim ..plonga plongo
აკუნ პალსუ
Buat pak Harto ya 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Jendi Arisandi
Oiiii